Native ginger
Alpinia caerulea, Fam. Zingiberaceae
Clumping habit with stems up to 4m long above an underground rhizome.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Herb |
| Family: | Zingiberaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple Alternate Leaves broadly elliptical up to 40cm long by 10cm wide. The base of the leaf encloses the stem and leaves can have a red colour on the underside. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
White, Cream, Pink |
| Flower description: | White, cream or pink flowers born on a terminal head approximately 25cm long. August to March. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Black, Blue, Green |
| Fruit: | Dry |
| Fruit description: | Green to blue to black when ripe. Each fruit contains approximately 30 seeds. |
| Habitat: | Beach scrub, gallery (riverine or riparian) forest, littoral rainforest, rainforest. |
| Distribution | Queensland and north-east New South Wales. |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia |
| Notes: | Fruits and young rhizomes are edible. |
| Information sources: | Beasley J. (2008) Plants of tropical North Queensland: The Compact Guide., Cooper W. & Cooper W.T. (2004) Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. |
